With winter upon us, and snow (finally!) on the ground, I thought it would be a good time to fire up the old hearth, so to speak, and return to some historic recipes. This time around, I decided to explore our manuscript cookbook collection. These handwritten recipes include as much variety as one would find [...]
We are delighted to republish a piece from the Public Address Division of the National Communication Association. The article that appears below is the first of their series of scholarly conversations they are calling Vibrant Voices of Public Address. This first conversation is with Ronald J. Zboray and Mary Saracino Zboray — both of whom [...]
Waterman, Martha Elizabeth and Walter. Journals, 1854-1880. Martha Elizabeth Drew was born in 1839 in Kingston, RI. She married Walter Waterman of Bridgewater, MA. This collection consists of three journals written by Martha, and one by Walter. Martha’s journal entries detail daily weather and daily activities such as calling on friends, and attending singing school [...]
In 1869, a giant was uncovered, and along with it, a giant hoax. The 10 foot statue of what was thought to be a petrified man was unearthed at a farm in Cardiff, NY. The Cardiff Giant, as it quickly became known, confounded scientists, historians, and the general population. Was this a statue made to [...]
Music Book, 1819. A new addition to the Music Book Collection, this volume contains handwritten bars of both religious and secular music with no corresponding lyrics. Most songs are German hymns, and are simple compositions. Occasionally throughout the volume, the owner of this book transcribed more complicated pieces of music (Rondo Allegro, Trio, and Sonatina, [...]
Over the past few months, we’ve been following our Civil War soldier Henry Joslin while his company was on picket duty on the banks of the Potomac. Last we heard Henry and his Company were involved in a skirmish in late October. Now in the New Year, 150 years ago, Henry is writing home to [...]
With New Year’s Eve fast approaching, it’s time to think about our New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are a wonderful way to reflect upon the past year, on the year to come, and attempt to bring about changes in our lives. It’s in our nature to seek this kind of renewal – everyone likes a fresh [...]
Last week I shared some letters from the Curwen Family Papers showcasing the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. The colonies officially made the change in 1752, yet some letters in the Curwen Family Papers exhibited the switch previous to the official change. Why the early appearance of these dates? The change was [...]
Snow, Nancy. Account Book, 1844-1847. An example of repurposing of books, Nancy Snow’s account book was composed within what was at one point a penmanship book, published in 1832. Nancy wrote her name on the inside cover, indicating she used this book as a student the Clapp School when she was 14 years old. Twelve [...]
The Curwen Family Papers represents one of the earliest collections in the manuscript department. This collection, which includes material from 1637 through 1808, provides an insightful look into pre-revolutionary America. Samuel Curwen, the main player in this collection, was a Harvard graduate, class of 1735, a trader in Salem, Massachusetts, and a Tory. When his [...]
AAS intern Katrina Ireland (Simmons College GSLIS program) recently came across a wonderful letter as she was processing our collection of Isaac Shepard Papers. Shepard (1816-1889) was a Harvard graduate and a commander of the 52nd US Infantry during the Civil War. In addition to his military life, Shepard was also a poet, author, and a [...]
This mathematic exercise book belonged bears the name of Samuel Geer, who was probably from Groton, Connecticut. The book is filled with mathematical calculations and problems, as well as solutions, written in a very neat hand. Questions involve liquid, cubic, long and square measurements, time (“How many minutes since the creation of the world…”), percentages, [...]
Last week, Henry left us, and his mother, hanging. His regiment encountered a skirmish, and although he was not harmed, Henry could not share the details until a few days later. On Sunday, October 27th, he tells his mother about the encounter, and his swim to safety. Below are some highlights. You can read the [...]
A few weeks ago, I shared a letter from Henry Joslin, a Civil War Corporal from Fitchburg, Massachusetts. On October 20th, 1861, Henry was again writing home to his mother. Below are some excerpts from the letter. You can read the full transcription here. I suppose that before you get this you will have received [...]
And now for some concluding thoughts from Jeanne McDougall about her encounter with Hannah Weld. If you’ve missed the previous two posts about Hannah and her mother Mary, click here to get caught up. What can you say after experiencing such an extraordinary epistle? My reading for the day came to a full stop; any [...]
Last week, AAS reader Jeanne McDougall introduced us to the Weld family. Today, she continues exploring the mother and daughter pair, and examines their relationship and personalities through Hannah’s letter. During the closing days of February 1799, Hannah would have had every reason to wish her daughter back home with her in Boston rather than [...]
Over the winter, AAS reader Jeanne McDougall spent some time with our Isaiah Thomas manuscript collection. While searching through the correspondence, she stumbled upon a letter from Hannah Weld to her daughter Mary Weld, who married Isaiah Thomas Jr. Below, Jeanne describes her encounter with Hannah and Mary. Jeanne’s experience certainly demonstrates the serendipitous nature [...]
One way we add to our manuscript collection is through what staff and readers find within other collections at AAS. Often we will find letters, notes, or other ephemera interfiled in books, periodicals and newspapers, and often it is deemed best to move this material into the manuscript collection. These items are fun because, while [...]
Recently we acquired an interesting new addition to our ever growing scrapbook collection. In 1869, Mary H. Hill of Nelson County, VA, somehow got her hands on a salesman’s sample book and proceeded to use it as a scrapbook for her favorite recipes over the next decade or so. What makes her book stand out [...]
Last week I shared a letter from Lucy Chase to a Henry Sargent, and promised more about it this week. Here’s the letter again, as a refresher! Any thoughts? Well, according to those who have studied this letter, many agree that it is, in fact, a joke! Knowing Lucy’s personality (her wit, her humor, [...]
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